Far from the enraged multitude, the "Blessed One" removed his hood, revealing that he had been disguised as Aiya all this time. She met with the others, and Meglin, still injured, commented:
"It seems your plan worked out, Aiya."
However, Arphaxad looked shocked at the mob thirsty for blood and replied:
"I don't think it worked out that well. These people are thirsty for blood. The plan wasn't supposed to be so cruel!"
Aura and Yorin, with different expressions and strange smiles, watched as the people massacred the slavers to the last man. Aiya, using her unique abilities as a heroine, found Aura and Yorin's behavior strange. She then used her "Emotion Detection" ability and realized something disturbing: they had indefinable emotions, without even a clear level of feelings. Aiya was certain that something was very different about the two of them.
With Ninea and Draka finally safe, even perturbed, Arphaxad called everyone to leave there as fast as possible and return to Catoni's house. Sahara asked him if they had rescued the slaves they intended, and Arphaxad confirmed yes. However, Aiya suggested it would be better to leave them mingling with the mob to increase hatred against the slavers.
Before they could leave, the enraged people began spreading throughout the capital, creating even greater chaos. Seeing the destruction, Arphaxad murmured:
"What have we done? Was this really necessary to end the mercenaries and slavers?"
Aiya remained silent. The plan had been hers, but she herself did not expect the situation to escalate to this point. The people, desperate and thirsty for blood, began burning everything and killing innocents in the process. Arphaxad ordered them to take the injured and flee as fast as possible, as a fierce mob now advanced upon them. They fled while Adonis mentioned they needed to remove Catoni and his family from that city as soon as possible, for it was only a matter of time before Zoarlath fell.
Near Catoni's house, Adonis realized Aura and Yorin were no longer with the group. He wanted to go back to look for his sister and friend, but Sahara stopped him.
"Aura and Yorin are strong. Our priority is to help our injured friends and save Catoni's family," she said, holding him by the arm.
Reluctantly, Adonis suppressed his emotions and turned his attention to Catoni's house. The city was in chaos, and the priority now was to protect the most vulnerable. The atmosphere was one of tension and uncertainty, as the group prepared to face whatever came next. The sounds of screams and flames echoed in the distance, as the city plunged into brutal anarchy.
Hwin ran through the streets of Zoarlath, his heart racing and his mind focused on a single objective: to reach Grand Duke Saladon's palace. The city was in utter chaos; the sounds of screams and burning buildings filled the air. He had lived in the shadows for a long time, knew all the tricks to hide and avoid trouble, but today everything seemed different. What he saw upon arriving at the palace was disconcerting. Guards normally disciplined wandered aimlessly, with lost looks and mouths murmuring senseless words. They seemed to be in some kind of trance, oblivious to the chaos unfolding around them.
Moving carefully, Hwin avoided any interaction, moving like a shadow to the palace entrance. He knew he needed to be fast and discreet; the survival instinct that had kept him alive for so long was on high alert. Zoarlath had always been a promiscuous and decadent city, but today it was completely out of control. "I fled and hid my whole life, it won't be a problem to do it now" he thought, his determination growing.
Upon reaching Grand Duke Saladon's bedroom door, Hwin opened it slowly, trying not to make noise. Inside, Saladon was sleeping deeply, oblivious to the hell unfolding outside his windows. With no patience for niceties, Hwin shook him forcefully, abruptly waking him. Saladon woke with a start, his expression quickly changing to anger as he recognized his unexpected visitor.
"Why are you so abruptly waking me? You are truly losing your sanity, Hwin. Know your place before you lose your head!" Saladon screamed, his tone full of arrogance. Hwin did not let himself be intimidated. With a decisive movement, he threw open the large embroidered curtains of the room, revealing the terrifying sight of the burning city. "The sun is rising and soon you will no longer have a kingdom to govern!" declared Hwin, pointing to the chaos unfolding below.
Still sleepy, Saladon rushed to the balcony. What he saw made him turn pale: his city, his domain, was being destroyed. The rising sun illuminated the columns of smoke rising from the burning buildings, and the screams of despair and agony filled the air. He stood in shock, unable to comprehend how everything had spiraled out of control so quickly.
While Saladon was lost in his confusion and horror, Hwin returned inside the room, his eyes drawn to something on the floor. There, he found the body of a woman, clearly dead, with bruises around her neck. The sight was not new to him; Saladon had a long history of abuse and violence, especially against those who could not defend themselves. "You remain as rotten as ever, Felix. Perhaps that is why your city is falling!" Hwin commented, his voice laden with disgust.
Saladon's rage exploded. He turned to Hwin, his face contorted in a mask of hatred. "What have you done to my city, you worm? I never should have trusted a Karastean, you are an inferior race!" he screamed, his voice full of venom. Hwin's patience had finally run out. He advanced, placing a firm finger on Saladon's forehead, the threat clear in his eyes. "You know with a simple snap I can rip your foul head off, do you not?" he said, his voice low but full of deadly promise.
Before the tension could erupt into violence, the bedroom door abruptly opened. "You will not kill him yet. He will die soon enough, but it will not be by your hands!" a cold, controlled voice declared. Both turned to see Lark, the Fifth Finger of the Five Fingers of God, entering the room with a large cigar dangling from his lips, his face bearing an evil smile.
Hwin instinctively took a fighting stance, his eyes fixed on Lark. "Lark, what have you done?" he demanded, his voice full of distrust and anger. Lark only gave a dark laugh, taking a drag of his cigar as he strolled calmly into the room, as if all the destruction outside were mere amusement. "What have I done? Come now, Hwin, all this is merely the result of good strategy. You really thought you could control everything and everyone? You are more the fool than I took you for," said Lark, his tone laden with contempt.
Hwin became tense, his eyes darting between Lark and Saladon, trying to understand the game being played. Saladon, for his part, seemed completely lost, his rage now mixed with a healthy dose of fear. The air was heavy with tension and distrust, and the promise of imminent violence hung over the three men, each realizing that the balance of power in the city was about to drastically change.
In the midst of the chaos engulfing Zoarlath, Arphaxad and the group quickly returned to Catoni's house. As they approached, Adonis noticed the door was open and a group of rioters had surrounded the place. Without hesitation, he conjured a small fireball, scattering the men who fled in panic. Adonis ran inside, desperately calling for Catoni. His concern grew when he saw the door to the workshop slightly ajar. He feared the worst and ran over.
Inside the workshop, the woman Catoni had rescued was still lying down, while Hilda, one of Catoni's granddaughters, sat alone in a corner, crying. Seeing Adonis, Hilda ran to embrace him, tears streaming down her face. "My grandfather went to look for my sister Hella, she disappeared," she said between sobs. Hilda's words made Adonis tremble with rage. He turned to Aiya, his look laden with ire. "This plan was yours!" he roared.
Before Aiya could respond, Catoni entered carrying the inert body of Hella silently. The silence that followed was heavy. Catoni, with a devastated expression, placed the girl's body on the sofa. "I always believed you could change this city, but I did not imagine I still had bills to pay. I prayed to all the gods every day for their safety, but it seems the gods have truly abandoned me," he said, his voice trembling as he held back tears.
Arphaxad, consumed by guilt, murmured to himself, "Why didn't I oppose this insane plan? I was so focused on saving the slaves that I forgot about everything else." Adonis, still furious, grabbed Aiya's collar, his words full of accusation. "I said I didn't trust this damned plan, but you convinced me of this atrocity!"
Cruxe approached, trying to intervene. "This plan did not come from Aiya either," she said, her voice low but firm. Everyone turned to her, perplexed. Adonis released Aiya, confused. "What does she mean?" he asked. Aiya, visibly shaken, knelt beside Hella. Taking from her pouch a stone adorned with a pale white glow, she said: "This is a rare artifact, only given to heroes who achieve great deeds. I know I cannot undo all my mistakes, but little Hella does not need to die!"
She pressed the stone against Hella's chest, and a soft light emanated from the artifact, being absorbed by the girl's body. With a great sigh, Hella awoke, her body trembling as she returned to life. Catoni and Hilda cried with happiness, embracing Hella tightly. Aiya, exhausted, stood up and sat down, the weight of guilt evident on her face. "As I said before, we have been in this city for over three months. During that time, I researched and studied the biggest mercenaries here. But even after much fighting, I realized this city was lost in the shadows and that only Meglin, Cruxe and I could not save it."
She sighed deeply, continuing: "A few months ago, my friends and I lost someone dear because we tried to fight against a rotten, shadowy system in a large eastern country. I lost many dear friends and feared losing more, so I gave up fighting Zoarlath's system." Aiya paused, looking at the floor. "I had decided to leave, to abandon the slaves and the oppressed. But one night, I learned Hwin had kidnapped two girls. That's when I met a man who knew many things about my group and me. He knew what would happen in this city. He told me about the soldiers with golden eyes and even about you all. And in my will to save the people of this city, I believed him!"
Sahara, intrigued, asked: "And who was this man?" Aiya stood up, pointing to the entrance of the house. "It's him!" Everyone turned to see a hooded man dressed as an acolyte entering Catoni's house. "The Blessed One" said Aiya, recognizing the man.
The group took up fighting stances, ready for the worst, while Aiya was merely frightened. The man raised his hand and removed his hood, revealing his face. It was Eron, a malicious smile on his lips. "Long time, my friends!" he said, his voice carrying an eerie calm. The tension was immense, and the weight of revelations and betrayals hung over them all, like a shadow promising more darkness.
At that same moment in Nannu, the scene was one of pure devastation. Suzannah floated over the battlefield, her body still glowing with the aura of the powerful magic she had just conjured. The thick smoke from her incendiary magic began to dissipate, revealing a charred and desolate landscape. Her eyes, widened in surprise and fear, fixed on something she had not expected to see: several pairs of golden eyes emerging slowly through the dark haze. When the smoke finally cleared completely, reality presented itself in a shocking way.
The soldiers of Set, though wounded, remained standing. Although marked by burns and charred armor, their stance did not show weakness. These soldiers, with their golden eyes glowing with an almost supernatural intensity, seemed little affected by Suzannah's powerful "Solar Eruption" magic. In contrast, Volkaron's soldiers were scattered across the battlefield, many of them carbonized, unable to withstand the destructive power of Suzannah's magic.
Queen Suzannah, the Red Queen, felt a wave of horror - most of Volkaron's forces had been obliterated, while the soldiers of the Duchy led by Set resisted in an almost miraculous way. Surprise soon gave way to growing dread as Suzannah realized the gravity of her situation. The golden eyes stared at her with a frightening calm, as if they knew something she did not, as if ready to retaliate at any moment.
With a quick decision, Suzannah activated her flight magic, quickly retreating to the capital. A sense of urgency drove her; she needed to reassess the situation and prepare better. She did not know much about the Duchy's soldiers' reputation, but she had heard of Set, the Crimson-Eyed Demon. She knew she would face a force not to be underestimated, even more so now that she had used a considerable amount of her own mana in an attempt to destroy her enemies.
As she drifted away, Set's soldiers' golden eyes continued to follow her, motionless and unperturbed. Suzannah knew this was just the beginning. They were merely observing, waiting for the right moment to act. And she, the powerful Red Queen, now saw herself forced to return to Alnuum, not as a victor but as a commander in desperation, desperately seeking a strategy to face a threat that seemed beyond her abilities.